Monday's National League Capsules

Monday's National League Capsules

August 28th, 2012 in News

DENVER (AP) - Jeff Francis and three relievers combined on a four-hitter as the Colorado Rockies beat Los Angeles 10-0 Monday night to spoil the Dodgers debut of Josh Beckett.

Beckett (0-1) was acquired in a nine-player megadeal deal with the Boston Red Sox over the weekend. His career in Los Angeles got off to an inauspicious start as he gave up a leadoff homer to Tyler Colvin on his second pitch, a 91-mph fastball that Colvin hit into the second deck.

The righty allowed three runs over 5 2-3 innings as the Dodgers fell 2 1/2 games behind idle San Francisco in the NL West.

Francis (5-4) scattered three hits in five innings and struck out a season-high six batters. Relievers Josh Roenicke, Rex Brothers and Matt Belisle closed out the game. Belisle pitched 1 2-3 innings to earn his second save this season.

CARDINALS 4, PIRATES 3

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Matt Holliday hit a tiebreaking home run and Kyle Lohse won his eighth consecutive decision, leading the Cardinals to a victory over the Pirates.

Holliday led off the sixth inning with his 24th homer, a drive to right field off A.J. Burnett that put St. Louis ahead for good at 3-2.

Lohse (14-2) pitched five innings before being lifted following a 34-minute rain delay in the top of the sixth. He allowed two runs and five hits while striking out three and walking none.

Lohse has not lost in 13 starts dating to June 15 and raised his career record against Pittsburgh to 9-2.

Burnett (15-5) gave up four runs and seven hits in 5 2-3 innings with three strikeouts and one walk.

BREWERS 15, CUBS 4

CHICAGO (AP) - Aramis Ramirez hit two of Milwaukee's five homers to lead the Brewers to a victory over the Cubs.

Ramirez, who played for the Cubs from 2003-11, hit a two-run shot in the fifth and a solo homer in the ninth as Milwaukee beat Chicago for the sixth straight time.

Ramirez's second homer followed a three-run shot by Ryan Braun that landed on Waveland Avenue, his NL-leading 35th of the season. Braun had four hits and five RBIs.

Corey Hart followed Ramirez with another shot that reached Waveland, giving Milwaukee back-to-back-to-back homers for the first time since Sept. 7, 2007 at Cincinnati.

The Brewers sent 14 batters to the plate and tacked on nine runs and eight hits in the ninth, finishing with a season-high 21 hits. Utility player Joe Mather got the final out of the inning for Chicago.

PADRES 3, BRAVES 0

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Casey Kelly combined with three relievers on a four-hitter to win his major league debut and Yasmani Grandal hit a two-run homer for the Padres, who beat the Braves to extend their season-high streak to eight straight wins.

The 22-year-old Kelly was the key player among the four obtained from the Boston Red Sox in the trade for Adrian Gonzalez on Dec. 6, 2010.

Kelly also got his first big league hit, a single up the middle with two outs in the fifth. The Padres loaded the bases before Chase Headley struck out.

REDS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 2

PHOENIX (AP) - Bronson Arroyo pitched six strong innings and homered in the sixth inning for the go-ahead run of the Reds' victory over the Diamondbacks.

Brandon Phillips added an RBI double for the Reds, who remained six games ahead of St. Louis in the NL Central and gave manager Dusty Baker his 400th win with the club.

Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth for his 32nd save.

Justin Upton drove in both runs for the Diamondbacks, who have lost four straight and six of eight during their 10-game homestand.

Arroyo (11-7) allowed two runs and five hits for his fourth straight win.

Skaggs (1-1), making his second career start, gave up three runs and five hits over 5 2-3 innings.